Foothills Preserve

Overview

In 2017, the Town of Plymouth purchased 128 acres of land west of Beaver Dam Road, from Tidmarsh Farms, to establish the 128 acre Foothills Preserve. This purchase included 50 acres of cranberry bog that were taken out of production in 2015, as part of a conservation and restoration easement negotiated by Tidmarsh Farms with NRCS, as well as a thin strip of land that runs up into the Pine Hills. Following this purchase, the Town became the lead in the design and implementation of the wetland restoration effort.

Much of the ground water enters this property from the steeply sloped Pine Hills to the west. Ground water upwellings feed Manomet Brook, a small stream that is initiated at the north-western corner of the property. The stream meanders across the floodplain, picking up +50%-100% of its flow from ground water, until it passes underneath Beaver Dam Road into Mass Audubon’s Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary. From here, the stream experiences a rapid 12’ elevation drop to where it joins the main stem of Beaver Dam Brook.

The restoration of Foothills Preserve included the removal of several culverts, and a variety of techniques to increase the surface water residence time, including: tensive microtopography, the construction of a few shallow groundwater depressions, in-stream plugs to trap water in the northwestern section, the construction of organic-rich “floodplain” platforms, and the addition of large wood in-stream and on the floodplain features. Five hundred Atlantic White Cedar trees and a variety of other species were strategically planted. Two boardwalk bridges allow visitors to cross the stream at different points and witness the wetland surface up close.

Across the road, at the Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, most visitors will have the opportunity to view up close the wetland restoration of the steeper portion of Manomet Brook. This restoration included the planting of over 400 trees and shrubs and the construction of a few areas which invite small groups to gather and learn about the restoration together. 

Partners: Town of Plymouth, MA; Mass Audubon; USAD NRCS; MA DER (a priority project); USFWS; EPA; Ducks Unlimited; Mt. Holyoke College; MIT Media Lab; MIT Sea Grant; Smith College; USDA ARS; University of Massachusetts - Amherst; University of Connecticut; Woodwell Climate Research Center; InterFluve Inc. (project engineer); Luciano’s Excavation, Inc. (construction contractor).